Signature folding machine



Dec. 13, 1932. C, T, CUNDALL 1,890,971

SIGNATURE FOLDING MACHINE Filed June 10. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l l HIIIIIHIIHIII II Il Il HI II Il 4I Il Jl Il Il IHR mug| INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec., 13, 1932.

C. T. CUNDALL SIGNATURE FOLDING MACHINE Filed June 1o, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NNN .yy en ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 13, 1932 STATES? PATENT OFFICE CONSTANT T. GUNDLI, OE IRAVC" CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 C. B. COTTREIL & SONS COMPANY-0F WESTERLYQE RHODEISIAND;.A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE I I SIGNATURE FOLDING MACHINE In signature folding machines where the signatures are first foldedy transversely and then: folded: lor-igitudinally,V it, has been difficult where: the longitudinalI fold is imparted' byI the coaction of a: folding bl-adefwith a pair offoldingrolls; tofcause theztransversely fold,- ed'` signatures-fo enter the. folding rolls l square so as; toproduce a. perfectA fold. 'In practice it' has been found that'the'unfol'ded tail margins offthesignatureswoulda fall. through the longitudinally disposed slot in theI folding table` intothe pair of folding rolls ahead of the: folded heads: `of. the signatures, thereby producing biased folds.

Ihave found that thisaeii'ectcanbe remedied byA thefprovisionof a. more or less flaringy slot in the. folding.- table so: thatboth the'. folded heads and the unfolded tail margins: of the signatures will be brought into engagement withthe' folding' rolls at. the same-moment, thus ensuring perfect square. longitudinal folds for. theisignatures;

@neil object', therefore; of. myv invention is to provide means wherebyV thel size. andA shape of the folding slot may be changed.. rI=`his v means; in the; present instance, comprises. two

longitudinally disposed. plates andy independent adjusting devices for the ends; of said plates sorthat the adjacentedges ofthefplates may be positioned@ either i-ny parallelismy or at an'. angle to each other over4r the usualv rectangular slot in the. folding talole,V toobtain the desired result.

nother object of'my invention is toprovide the folding rolflsfwith'coacting longitudinal lrnurled"l portions for engagingth'e'- back margins of the signatures; coacting circumferential knurled' portionsl for engaging the tail margins of the signatures and coacting circumferential knurledi portions for engaging the closed head1 margins ofthe signatures a short distance inwardly from the fold whereby the head folds will not be pinched by the said folding rolls andv more even back folds are. produced.

A. practical embodiment. of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings which: :i f

Fig.: 1v represents in: side elevation so much of a signature. folding machineas will give Vaclear understanding of my invention;

2 represents a detail end view of the same;

Fig. 3-represents a detail. horizontal sec-v tion taken in the plane of thel line III-III of Fig. l, looking` in the direction. of.- the arrows; f

Fig. 4 represents a vertical transverse section taken in the plane of theline V--V of FiO. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig.l 6 represents a similar detail section` taken. in the plane of the line VI-VI of Fig. 3looking in the direction of the arrows; and n Fig; 7 represents a detail plan view of they pair of coacting folding rolls to more clearly illustrate thev longitudinal and circumferential knurled portions ofsaid rolls.

In the form herein illustrated the transverse folds areformedzin the signatures' by the coaction of the folding cylinders 1 and 2. The longitudinal folds are imparted to the transversely folded signatures by the coaction ofthe. folding blade "3 with the pair of folding rolls 4, 5. The folding table which receives the transversely folded signatures from the folding cylinder 2 is denoted by 6 and' it; is provided with the usual longitudinally disposedrectangu'lar slot l7. A pair of longitudinallydisposed .folding platesl 8, 9 are. mounted on the folding table 6 over the slot 7 in' position to be independently laterally' adjustedto change the size and shape of the opening ,through which` thev transversely folded signatures are tucked by the* folding blader?) into the pair of folding rolls 4, 5;

Four' similar adjusting devices carried-by thefolding table areprovidedfor independently adjusting the ends ofthe folding plates 8, 9, laterally. l f The devices forladjusting the outer ends of the folding. plates comprise laterally disposed. alinedf adjusting'screwslO, 11 having their unthreaded inner ends rotatably mountedlinz a block l2r secured to thex under side of the folding table and their unthreaded outer ends rotatably mounted in their respective brackets 13, 14, depending from the said fold* ing table. The threaded intermediate portions 15, 16 of the screws engage their respective pins 17,18, depending from the outer ends of the-folding plates, through transversely elongated slots 19, 20 in said plate.

lThe devices for adjusting the inner ends of the folding plates comprise laterally disposed adjusting screws 21, 22 having their unthreaded portions rotatably mounted in their respective brackets 23, 24 depending from the folding table. The threaded inner portions 25, 26 of said screws engage their respective pins 27, `28 depending from the under faces of the folding plates through the transversely elongated slots 29, 30. j

A drive shaft 31 is shown as driving the coacting folding rolls 1, 2 through gears 32, 33, 34.

Two sets of coacting feed rollers 35, 36 and 37, 38 are shown for feeding 'the transversely folded signatures into position on the folding table against the sheet stop 39 which bridges the outer ends of the folding plates 8 and 9. These feed rollers may be driven from the folding cylinder gear 34 through the gears 40 to 45 inclusive. The coacting folding rolls 4, 5 may be driven from the drive shaft 31 through the bevel gears 46, 47, shaft 48 and gears 49 to 54 inclusive.

The folding blade 3 is mounted on a rocking support 55 Whose shaft 56 is mounted in suitable brackets 57 carried by the folding table. The support is rocked to raise and lower the folding blade 3 at the proper intervals through a link 58 connected to the crank arm 59 of a shaft 60, which shaft is driven from the gear 52 through the gears 61, 62.

The folding rolls 4 and 5 are provided with coacting longitudinally disposed knurled portions 63, 64 for engaging the back margins of the signatures. These. rolls are also provided with circumferential knurled portions 65, 66 for engaging the tail margins of the signatures and with coacting circumferential knurled portions 67,68 for engaging the closed head margins of the signatures a short Vdistance inwardly from the fold. The

ends of the folding rolls beyond the last named knurled portions are of lesser diam eters to permit the free passage of the head fold of the signature.

From the above description it will be seen that the two folding plates may be independently laterally adjusted at both their inner and outer ends to obtain the desired shape and size of the folding slot between them, thereby causing the proper insertion of the transversely folded signature into the folding rolls by the folding blade to ensure j a perfectly square and unbiased longitudinal fold. In practice I have found that theslot should be more or less Haring in the direction of travel of the transversely folded signature, according to the signature being folded.

It will also be seen that by circumferentially knurling the outer end portions of the rolls a short distance inwardly from their ends and from the stop `39, the pinching of the transverse fold of the signature is avoided and a better back fold is obtained. l

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement ofthe several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but

What I claim is :e-

1. In a signature folding machine, a table having a folding slot therethrough, and means for changing the size and shape of said slot comprising two plates located in the saine plane, 'one of said plates being adjustable with respect to the other in said plane. 2. In a signature folding machine, a table having a. folding slot therethrough, and means for changing the size and shape of said slot comprising two plates located in the same plane and adjustable with respect to yeach other in said plane.

3. In a signature folding machine, a table having a folding slot therethrough, and means for changing'the size and shape of said slot comprising two longitudinally disposed plates located in the same plane, one of said plates being adjustable laterally with respect to the other in said plane. Y

4. In a signature folding machine, a table having a folding slot therethrough, and means for changing the size and shapeof said slot comprising two longitudinally disposed plates located in the same plane and adjustable laterally with respect to each other in said plane. Y, l

5.1In a signature folding machine, a table having a folding slot therethrough, and means for changing the size and shape of said slot comprising twolongitudinally disposed plates located in the same plane and independently adjustable laterally with respect to each other in said plane. I Y

6.` In a signature folding machine, a table having a. folding slot therethrough, two longitudinally,disposed plates located in the same plane partially closing saidA slot, and means for adjusting them in said plane to change the size and shape of the slot.

7. In a signature folding machine, a table having a folding 'slottherethrough, two longitudinally disposed plates located in the same plane partially closing said slot, and means for independently adjusting them in said plane, to change the size and shape of the slot.

8. In a signature folding machine, a table having a folding slot therethrough, two

longitudinally disposed plates partially closing said slot, and means for independently adjusting the opposite ends of each plate to change the size and shape of the slot.

9. In a signature folding machine, a table having a folding slot therethrough, two longitudinally disposed plates partially closing said slot, and an individually adjustable device for each end of each plate for changing the size and shape of the slot.

10. In a signature folding machine, a pair of folding rolls having circumferentially knurled portions for engaging the head margin only of the signature a short distance inwardly from the head fold.

11. In a signature folding machine, a pair of folding rolls having circumferentially knurled portions for engaging the head margin only of the signature a short distance inwardly from the head fold, the ends of the folding rolls beyond the knurled portions being of lesser diameters to permit the free passage of the head fold of the signature.

12. In a signature folding machine, a pair of folding rolls having longitudinally knurled portions for engaging the back margin of the signature, circumferentially knurled portions for engaging the tail margin of the signature and circumferentially knurled portions for engaging the head margin of the signature a short distance inward ly from the head fold.

13. In a signature folding machine, a pair of folding rolls having longitudinally knurled portions for engaging the back margin of the signature, circumferentially knurled portions for engaging the tail margin of the signature and circumferentially knurled portions for engaging the head margin of the signature a short distance inwardly from the head fold, the ends of the folding rolls beyond the last named knurled portions being of lesser diameters to permit the free passage of the head fold of the signature.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this eighth day of June, 1931.

CONSTANT T. CUNDALL. 

